South Africa refuse Bangladesh's offer for cricket series

Johannesburg, April 26 (IANS) Cricket South Africa (CSA) have refused Bangladesh's offer for a cricket series in May citing hectic schedule of its national cricketers.

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had offered to pay the full cost of a series comprising Twenty20 and ODI matches either at home or in South Africa.

"Unfortunately there are too many practical obstacles that prevent us from accepting this commitment," acting CSA chief executive Jacques Faul said in a statement.

"At the moment most of our senior Proteas are spread around the world in England and India and those who are at home are undergoing rehabilitation from injuries picked up during the past season.

"We also have to bear in mind that the Proteas' Castle Lager squad has a hectic schedule ahead of it with very important tours to England and Australia with the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka sandwiched in between," he said.

"We have always enjoyed our contests with Bangladesh and we look forward to playing them again in the future. They have been playing very good cricket of late, including reaching the final of the recent Asia Cup competition," said Faul.

The propose also didn't get the green signal from South African Cricketers' Association (SACA).

Tony Irish, chief executive of SACA, said some of their players were plying their trade in English county while others were playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and they were not given much time to organise an overseas tour.

"Unfortunately this request has come through very late in the day by which stage most of the senior players had committed themselves to professional contracts abroad and it would be unfair to ask them to renege on them," Irish was quoted as saying by SAPA.

"The Proteas' team management and players have also put their plans in place in the build-up to their tour of England and it would be impossible to change them at this stage. It is going to be a very tough tour and we will need a fully fresh and fit squad for this engagement," he said.